Quality engineering has gradually turned to be the essence of digital solutions, making way into every stage of development lifecycle. From tech giants to small-scale enterprises, brands are quickly investing on their test initiatives to take the entire digital landscape forward.
When it comes to widening the perspective in context to development, the vision usually comes from understanding and exploring the thought-process of people. Especially, when every QA and developer walks through a different journey with their own history of projects, problems, and solutions, exposure to varying ideas creates space for innovation.
Taking forward our legacy, this time, on tech talks our in-house expert, Sahil Verma, interacted with Siddhant Wadhwani. With an experience of more than 7 years, Siddhant is working as a Project Lead and SDET Manager at Newfold Digital, formerly Endurance Group.
From manual to automation, Siddhant holds all the expertise needed to work on Quality-First approach while having all the leadership skills, fetched through managing a team of 15-20 SDETs.
His major experience includes web-based and client-based projects that contained mobile applications, DevOps, and Cloud-based Services like AWS. More importantly, he has even worked on serving various domains like eCommerce, cloud-based SaaS platforms, Business Intelligence, along with web presence solutions.
Above all, he holds a vision for change and creating an impact which ultimately become the reason for our connection. Siddhant is seasoned professional with a knack for tools and technologies like Automation: Robot Framework, Selenium WebDriver with TestNG, Selenium 4, as well as programming languages like Java and Python, Siddhant is capable at testing everything from Microservices to Micro Frontends.
With all those insights to his experience and learnings, we think it becomes crucial to have a vision of a young and enthusiastic QA expert. Let us quickly jump on the conversation and explore Siddhant’s perspective of working on continuous testing process along with metrics he defines to be the most important for pursuing test automation initiatives.
Sahil: You hold a variety of certifications. Can you share some insights on this?
Siddhant: Holding certifications demonstrates a level of expertise and commitment to one's field. It can also signify that an individual has met certain standards & has the skills to perform certain tasks. In my case, I hold certifications in several areas such as programming, database, software testing, project management, digital marketing and more. These certifications have allowed me to be proficient across various tasks.
Additionally, obtaining certifications helps me stay up to date on the latest industry trends and developments in my field. Overall, I believe that certifications are an important aspect of professional development and can be a valuable asset for any individual looking to advance their career. They provide a recognized standard of knowledge and skills, and can open up new opportunities for growth and advancement. I continuously seek new certifications to expand my skill set & stay current with industry developments.
One key factor I’d like to highlight: Certifications are not always the best indicator of knowledge & skill. It's important to consider both the credibility of the certification, and the demonstration of the skill, in order to truly assess someone's expertise.
Sahil: What are the best resources that have helped you along the way?
Siddhant: One of the most valuable resources for me has been industry-specific conferences and events, such as the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB) and the Association for Software Testing (AST).
These events provide a platform for networking with other professionals in the field and gaining exposure to the latest trends and best practices in software testing. Additionally, online forums and communities, such as The Test Tribe (TTT), Automation Advocates, Ministry of Testing, BrowserStack Champions and others, have been a great resource for connecting with other test professionals, to discuss challenges & solutions.
Books such as "Foundations of Software Testing" by Dorothy Graham, sites like "Guru99.com", blogs like "Michael Bolton's Developsense blog" and "James Bach's Blog" or MOOCs like Udemy, etc. are great sources of information & inspiration.
Moreover, being inclined on the Development side as well, attending numerous webinars & conferences by top IT companies like Microsoft, Google, Oracle, Amazon & more, has simply multiplied my expertise across various domains & areas.
Sahil: In your opinion, what is the most important strength someone would need to work in your industry?
Siddhant: No second thoughts!! I feel the most important strength that someone working in the Software Testing industry must have is, Attention to detail, as it requires a high degree of precision & accuracy.
We know that even the smallest of errors can have significant consequences, thus as a software tester, you must be responsible to identify and report bugs & defects as early as possible. It's essential that you pay close attention to every aspect of the software and thoroughly test it, to ensure that it functions correctly.
Additionally, it's important that you are able to think critically and analytically, and that you have good problem-solving skills. You should also be able to work well in a team, as software testing often involves collaboration with other team members. Communication skills are also equally important, as you need to clearly & effectively communicate any issues or defects that you find to the development team and other relevant folks.
Sahil: What metrics should one monitor to measure the effectiveness of test automation?
Siddhant: There are several key metrics or KPIs that must be used to measure the effectiveness of test automation. One important metric is Test Coverage, which measures the %age of the application that has been tested. This can be used to identify areas of the application that are not being properly tested and may be at risk of defects.
Another important metric is Test Execution Time, which measures how long it takes for the automated tests to run. This can be used to identify tests that are taking too long to run and may need to be optimized.
Other important metrics include Test Pass Rate, which measures the %age of tests that pass, and Test Failure Rate, which measures the percentage of tests that fail. Additionally, it's important to measure the Maintainability of the test automation by monitoring the number of bugs found by automated tests, code complexity, testability, and reusability of the test cases. I would also recommend collaborating with the DevOps team to read about & explore DORA Metrics, to evaluate the team’s performance better.
Sahil: What are the steps for executing a successful continuous testing process?
Siddhant: Based on my experience so far, it’s highly important to first understand the business requirements & objectives of a project, to define the testing goals, thereby reducing the time-to-market, improving quality, or identifying & resolving defects early on.
Second, selecting appropriate tools & technologies for test automation, test management, and test execution would help streamline the testing process & achieve better results, in an agile manner. Setting up test environments that mimic the production environment would help identify & resolve any issues that might arise in production.
Moreover, by integrating testing into the development process and automating the delivery process (CI/CD), you can ensure that new features and changes are tested & delivered quickly and efficiently. Next, monitor the results of your continuous testing process, and look for areas where you can improve & optimize.
Use metrics and analytics to measure & understand how your testing process impacts the overall software development process & continuously improve the process.
Lastly, collaborate with Developers, Product Managers, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that the testing process is aligned - collate all feedback and make necessary refinements, to ensure that the final product meets the customer’s need & is defect-free.
Sahil: Can you share some tips to the aspiring quality assurance professionals?
Siddhant: As an aspiring QA or SDET professional, it is important to understand that the role requires not just technical skills, but also a strong understanding of the industry and its specific needs. Here are a few tips I’ve curated to help you succeed in this field:
1. Stay up-to-date with the latest technologies & trends in the industry: This will help you understand the current challenges and opportunities in the field, and how to best approach them.
2. Develop strong problem-solving skills: QA/SDET professionals are often called upon to troubleshoot complex issues and find solutions quickly.
3. Understand the importance of communication: Collaboration and communication with other team members are essential in this role, as you will need to effectively communicate any issues or bugs that are discovered.
4. Focus on building a strong test automation strategy: As the industry continues to evolve, automation will become increasingly important in the software testing field.
5. Never stop learning: The field of QA & SDET is constantly changing, and it is important to continuously improve your skills & knowledge, to stay ahead of the curve. By following these tips & staying dedicated to your professional development, I strongly believe, you will be well-prepared to excel as a QA or SDET professional in the industry.
Sahil: If anybody wants to get in touch with you, what’s the best way to do that?
Siddhant: The best way to get in touch with me would be through a direct message on LinkedIn. You can also reach me via social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, or else through the contact form on my portfolio website.
Whatever method you choose, please make sure to include your name and a brief message so that I can respond promptly. Remember that you can always reach out to me through various platforms, and I'll make sure to respond as soon as possible.
➔ LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddhantwadhwani
➔ Portfolio website: https://siddhantwadhwani.com
➔ Contact form: https://siddhantwadhwani.com/contact
➔ Instagram profile: https://www.instagram.com/siddhantwadhwani
➔ Twitter profile: https://www.twitter.com/siddhantw19
➔ Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/wadhwanisiddhant
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